Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) is an optical remote sensing technology that is used to gather information regarding targeted surfaces. The technology generates a large number of data points, in some cases billions of data points, over the targeted surface where the data points include information such as the range or distance from the laser to the target, orientation, scan angle, calibration data, and often other attributes relating to the surface such as intensity, color and texture. The data points are stored in a database and retrieved for processing to generate digital elevation models, canopy models, building models, and contours.
In the database, the data points can be stored in traditional database tables with the help of a spatial index. However, it is time consuming to load large volumes of data into a table with a spatial index because the overhead of maintaining the index is high.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.